Device for cleaning brush and roots from woodland.



J. L. MUSSER. DEVICE FOR CLEANING BRUSH AND ROOTS FROM WOODLAND.APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1911.

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'UNITED sTATEs PATENT orrron.

JOI-IN L. MUSSER, OF LANCASTER, YENNSYLVAN'IA.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING BRUSH AND ROOTS FROM WOODLAND.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JoHN L. Mossen, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Cleaning Brush and Roots from lWoodland,

'of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning brush and roots fromwoodland.

Tn clearing land of heavy timber, the trees are usually cut within ashort distance from the ground and the stumps of the trees ultimatelyremoved by blasting or manual opsuch as grubbing. 1When the stumps areblasted out of the ground, it frequently occurs that roots of thc treesare left in the ground, and almost invariably there is an underbrush ofheavy bushes and small trees, which mustbe removed. These are usuallygrubbed or pulled up at considerable expenditure of labor and money.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a device which maybe drawn by horses or other power over the land to completely remove theunderbrush, roots and small trees, or so loosen them, or some of them,depending upon the size and character of the growth, that they can bereadily removed by hand. In most instances, this growth, upon which thedevice is intended to operate, will be completely removed from theground, and need only be gathered up and carried away. The form of theframe is such that all of the surface, between the maximum width of theframe, is operated upon, and t-he teeth are so arranged in the framethat the tearing or pulling action thereof, upon the growth, willproduce the best possible results and the running position of the deviceis such that the dislodged brush, etc., will pass under or be thrown tothe sides, under and outside the device, thus preventing clogging.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device; Fig. 2is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the frame, which isV-shaped and composed in the main of two beams 2, preferably of wood,joined at their forward ends 3. To the front end of the frame is attached a clevis 4, for the attachment of any suitable draft contrivanceand this clevis is so formed on its under side that it serves as a shoeupon which the forward end of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 3, 1911.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

Serial No. 612,120.

device runs. The side bars of the frame are held rigidly together by aseries of crossties 5, and the rear ends of the side bars are connectedfirmly together, by a cross-beam 6, which carries an axle 7 upon whichare mounted wheels 8 which support the rear end of the frame, a suitabledistance from the ground. This axle is supported in bearing plates 9 andclips 9, bolted through the cross-beam and side bars of the frame, thusrendering the axle and wheels carried thereby detachable, so that t-hedevice may, if found desirable, be dropped down at the rear end, tocause the rear teeth to be extended for a greater depth into the ground.

The side bars of the frame are bored, as indicated at. 10, for thereception of a series of teeth 10 which increase in length from thefront to the rear of the frame. The upper ends of these teeth areexternally threaded for the reception of nuts 11, which are tightenedagainst beveled washers 12, on the under and upper faces of the sidebeams. The teeth are arranged in staggered relation, and inclined bothforwardly and laterally with relation to the side bars, so that the endsof the alternate teeth, will extend alternately inside and outside theside bars, as shown. For instance, in placing the opposite teeth nearestthe rear end of the device, it will be noted that the bore for the toothon one side begins close to the outer edge of the bar, while the borefor the opposite tooth begins adjacent to the inside of the oppositebar. These bores, for instance, starting from the top of the side bars,will extend obliquely through said bars and come out on the under sideat. the same distance from the lower face of the bar as the ripper endof the bore is from the upper face.

-All of the bores extend forward and obliquely to lines drawn throughtheir centers, transverse to the side bars, thus supporting the teeth atangles both forward and lateral, as shown. This arrangement of teethcauses them to cover a greater area of surface and also increases theirpulling force upon the growth which it is desired to remove.

Preferably, I strengthen the side bars by metallic inner and outerplates, connected through the side bars by bolts 13, and preferably theunder sides of the side bars carry plates 13, only one being shownattached thereto by any suitable means, such as screws.

When it is desired to drop the rear end of the device, to cause the rearteeth to eX- tend farther into'the ground, it is merely necessary toremove the bolts from the clips and plates 9 and 9, when the axle andwheels may be removed.

It will be noted that the arrangement of t-he teeth is such that whenthe wheels are removed, and the whole device lowered, the forwardinclination `of the teeth will be materially changed and extended intothe ground at a different anole and to a greater depth, which may bedesired under dierent soil conditions.

The bolts 13 are passed through the side bars adjacent to the points ofpassage of the teeth through the bars, by which obviously, the side barsat these points arestrengthcned where greater strength is desirable.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A device of the character described, comprising two converging beamsconnected together, each being provided with two series of teeth, oneseries projecting from one side of the beam in a forwardly andinwardly-inclined direction and the other series projecting from theopposite side ofsaid beam in a forwardly and outwardy-inclineddirection, whereby said teeth will cover a greater surface area andincreased pulling capacity. j

2. A device of the character described,

comprising two converging beams braced together, each beam beingprovided with two series of teeth, one series projecting from one sideof the beam in a forwardly and i11- wardly inclined direction and theother series projecting from the opposite side of said beam in aforwardly and outwardly-inclined direction, the teeth of both seriesgradually diminishing in length toward the forward end of the device,whereby diiferent degrees of penetration will be provided.

3. A device of the character described, comprising two converging beamsconnected together by braces, each beam being provided wit-h two seriesof teeth, one series projecting from one side of the beam in a forwardlyand inwardly-inclinedgdirection and the other series projecting from theother side of said beam in a forwardly and outwardly-inclined direction,the length of both series of teeth gradually diminishing toward theforward end of the device and wheels supporting the rear end of thedevice, whereby the teeth are caused to penctrate the soil at equal oruniform depth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. MUSSER.

Witnesses FRANCIS S. MAGUIRE, FRANK G. BRERETON.

. Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

